Toy vehicle

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle provided with a front driving and steering wheel is provided with a system permitting the front wheel to automatically change direction when hitting an obstacle so as to permit the vehicle to pass around the obstacle and continue its movement. The vehicle includes a body provided with a source of energy and a motor. The front wheel frame is mounted to freely rotate with respect to the body and a wheel is mounted for rotation about the axle of the frame. The motor turns a drive shaft which is positioned along an axis intersecting the surface along which the vehicle moves at an angle less than 90*. The drive shaft terminates in a pinion wheel which meshes with a rack of continuous teeth formed as a part of the front wheel rotating same so as to propel the vehicle along the surface. Simultaneously, the motor rotates a second resilient pinion wheel positioned adjacent the top of the front wheel frame, which frame is provided with a raised portion including opposed curvilinear surfaces. As the vehicle normally travels in a straight line, the rotating second gear wheel does not contact the curvilinear surfaces. However, as the vehicle strikes an object in its path, the front wheel frame is caused to rotate in turn causing one of the curvilinear surfaces of the raised portion to engage the rotating second pinion wheel at which time the front wheel is abruptly rotated causing the vehicle to immediately travel in a different direction to avoid further contact with the obstacle to the amusement of the child.

United States Patent [1 1 [451 Aug. 14, 1973 Nagai [541 TOY VEHICLE 1 Matthias Jana [73] Assignee: Tonly Klogyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 289,250

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 16, 1972 Japan 47/32152 (utility Model) [52] U.S. CI. 46/206, 46/243, 46/213 [5!] Int. Cl A63h 17/00 [58] Field of Search..... 46/202, 201, 206, 46/213, 21 l, 243

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,497 l/1955 Muller 46/206 2,091,872 8/1937 Muller 46/211 2,814,906 12/1957 Orvis 46/243 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney-Harry John Staas, James D. Halsey i i the child.

[57] ABSTRACT A toy vehicle provided with a front driving and steering wheel is provided with a system permitting the front wheel to automatically change direction when hitting an obstacle so as to permit the vehicle to pass around the obstacle and continue its movement. The vehicle includes a body provided with a source of energy and a motor. The front wheel frame is mounted to freely rotate with respect to the body and a wheel is mounted for rotation about the axle of the frame. The motor turns a drive shaft which is positioned along an axis intersecting the surface along which the vehicle moves at an angle less than 90. The drive shaft terminates in a pinion wheel which meshes with a rack of continuous teeth formed as a part of the front wheel rotating same so as to propel the vehicle along the surface. Simultaneousiy, the motor rotates a second resilient pinion wheel positioned adjacent the top of the front wheel frame, which frame is provided with a raised portion including opposed curvilinear surfaces. As the vehicle normally travels in a straight line, the rotating second gear wheel does not contact the curvilinear surfaces. However, as the vehicle strikes an object in its path, the front wheel frame is caused to rotate in turn causing one of the curvilinear surfaces of the raised portion to engage the rotating second pinion wheel at which time the front wheel is abruptly rotated causing the vehicle to immediately travel in a different direction to avoid further contact with the obstacle to the amusement of 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENHEM 3.751 .851

F PRIOR ART TOY VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates generally to the class of toy vehicles in which the front wheel powers the vehicle along a surface and also rotates with respect to the vehicle so as to guide same. In such conventional toys, trouble is frequently experienced in propelling the vehicle along a straight path and the childs interest is diminished when the vehicle strikes obstructions. It is apparent that the childs interest in the toy may only be maintained if the vehicle is able to negotiate obstructions, such as walls, in such a manner as to insure continuous action. With the present invention, toy vehicles of the class described normally travel in a straight line while the front wheel is caused to automatically turn when hitting an obstacle so as to permit the vehicle to travel in a new direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

. In the present invention, the motor turns a drive shaft positioned along an axis intersecting the surface along which the vehicle moves at an angle less than 90. The drive shaft terminates in a pinion wheel which meshes with teeth formed as a part of the front wheel for turning same. The front wheel is mounted for rotation with respect to the remainder of the vehicle. As the front wheel of the vehicle strikes an obstruction, it is turned to one side. Raised curvilinear surfaces forming a part of the frame of the front wheel are then moved into engagement with a rotating resilient pinion wheel also powered by the vehicle motor at which time the front wheel is abruptly rotated causing the vehicle to immediately travel in a different direction to avoid further contact with the obstacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy vehicle embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view in cross section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 illustrating the vehicle motor and gear train, the rotatably mounted front wheel frame, the sloping drive shaft for turning the front wheel and the system for abruptly rotating the front wheel permitting the vehicle to move around obstacles, if necessary;

FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the front wheel during those times the vehicle is normally moving straightforward;

FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the front wheel being automatically rotated by action of the resilient pinion wheel against one of the curvilinear surfaces of the wheel frame as the vehicle strikes an object so as to cause the vehicle to abruptly change direction; and

FIG. 4 is the side elevational view partly in section illustrating the driving and steering mechanisms of many conventional toy vehicles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

The reference numeral in FIGS. 1 and 2 designates generally the vehicle which, for example, may be a motor cycle. The body of the vehicle 12 is provided with a compartment 14 within which batteries 16 are located, and, further, includes supports 18 within which a miniature electric motor 20 of conventional construction is mounted. Suitable electrical contacts 22 and wiring 24 are employed to energize the motor 20 by the batteries 16. Such construction is well known in the prior art and needs no further elaboration herein. The body 12 is further provided with a rear axle 26 about which the rear wheel 28 is mounted for rotation.

The reference numeral 30 designates a frame pro vided with an axle 32 about which the front wheel 34 is mounted to rotate. The front wheel 34 is provided with a rack 36 of continuous teeth, the purpose of which will be described in detail hereinafter.

A gear train generally designated by the reference numeral 38 is mounted within a chassis 40, as illustrated in FIG. 2. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, the shaft of the motor 20 terminates in a pinion wheel 42 which meshes with and rotates the gear wheel 44 which is loosely mounted about the shaft 46 which is appropriately journaled within the chassis 40. The gear wheel 44 is provided with a smaller gear wheel 48 which is also loosely mounted about the shaft 46 and which meshes with and rotates the gear wheel 50 rigidly secured to the shaft 52 which is also journaled within the chassis 40. The shaft 52 terminates downwardly in pinion wheel 54 which meshes with the continuous rack of circular teeth 36 of the front wheel 34. As will now be apparent, as the motor 20 is energized, the pinion wheel 42 meshes with and rotates the gear wheel 44. As the gear wheel 44 rotates, its smaller associated wheel 48 meshes with and rotates the gear wheel 50 which, in turn, causes the shaft 52 to rotate. The rotation of the shaft 52 causes the pinion wheel 54 to rotate so as to mesh with the circular teeth 36 of the front wheel 34 rotating same propelling the vehicle 10 along any surface.

The shaft 52 terminates upwardly in a gear wheel 56 rigidly secured thereto which meshes with the gear wheel 58 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 46. The shaft 46 passes loosely through gear wheels 44 and 48 terminating downwardly in a pinion wheel 60 constructed of resilient material, for example, rubber, the purpose of which will be explained in detail hereinafter. As will be apparent, as the shaft 52 is caused to rotate by the motor 20, the rotating gear wheel 56 meshes with and rotates the gear wheel 58 which being rigidly secured to the shaft 46 causes same to rotate in turn rotating the resilient pinion wheel 60.

The reference numeral 62 designates a bushing mounted about the shaft 52 and having one end thereof loosely supported against the bottom of the frame or chassis 40 and the other end thereof supported against an abutment 65 formed in the shaft 52. The wheel frame 30 is mounted to the busing 62 so as to permit the wheel 34 to rotate freely about the shaft 52.

At the top of the front wheel frame 30 is provided a raised portion generally designated by the reference numeral 64. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3A, the raised portion 64 comprises flat front and rear surfaces 66 and curvilinear side surfaces 68 therebetween.

As will now be apparent, if the vehicle 10 is traveling forward in a straight line, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, and suddenly strikes a surface designated generally by the reference numeral 70, the front wheel 34, always free to rotate, will be turned to one side or the other, for example, counter clockwise as illustrated in FIG. 38. During the time the vehicle 10 is traveling in a straight line, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, the continuously rotating pinion wheel 60 never touches the flat front and rear surfaces 66 of the raised portion 64 of the frame 30. However, when the wheel 34 of the vehicle strikes an obstruction 70 and the frame 30 is caused to rotate, eventually the rotating pinion wheel 60 engages one of the curvilinear side surfaces 68 of the raised portion 64. As contact is made between a curvilinear side surface 68 and the rotating pinion wheel 60, the wheel frame 30 and the front wheel 34 are abruptly rotated counterclockwise, as illustrated in FIG. 38, by the clockwise rotation of the pinion wheel 60. The abrupt rotation of the frame 30 and the moving front wheel 34 cause the vehicle 10 to immediately move in a new direction determined by the position of the wheel frame 30. If, however, the vehicle 10 strikes an obstruction 70 and the wheel frame 30 is turned clockwise, as soon as the curvilinear surface 68 engages the rotating pinion wheel 60, the frame 30 and front wheel 34 will be immediately rotated counterclockwise. Finally, the wheel frame 30 depending upon the geometry of the obstruction and the angle that the vehicle 10 strikes same may be caused to rotate varying degrees, for example, 180 reversing the direction of travel to the amusement of the child.

In FlG. 4 is illustrated a conventional motor and gear train for operating toy vehicles similar to that of the present invention. ln such conventional toys, the shaft 72 for driving the front wheel 74 is positioned along an axis generally perpendicular to the surface along which the front wheel 74 moves. The front wheel 74 and its frame 76 in such conventional toys thus rotates freely with respect to the body 78 of the vehicle. As is well known in the art, in such conventional constructions the front wheel 74 and frame 76 frequently rotate even though the vehicle has not contacted an obstacle thus preventing the vehicle from running in a straight path. This problem is avoided in the present invention by inclining the axis of the drive shaft 52 at an angle less than 90 with respect to the surface along which the front wheel 34 moves. The force exerted by the ground surface against the front wheel no longer being coincident with the drive shaft, the tendency of the front wheel to turn during normal travel is reduced.

As previously described, the rotating pinion wheel 60 insures that the wheel frame 30 will be rotated sufficiently upon contact with an obstruction to permit the vehicle 10 to change direction immediately so as to work its way around the obstruction. A toy vehicle provided with the present invention may literally maneuver its way around an infinite number of obstacles. The attention of the child is maintained since the vehicle 10 continues to move at will regardless of the number or nature of the obstacles placed in its path.

I claim:

1. A toy vehicle, comprising:

a body provided with a source of energy and a motor;

a frame provided with an axle, means mounting said frame to rotate with respect to said body, said frame being provided with a portion having opposed curvilinear surfaces;

a wheel, means mounting said wheel to rotate about said axle of said frame, said wheel being provided with a series of continuous teeth;

means operatively connecting said motor to said frame and said wheel including a gear train, a shaft operatively connected to said gear train and terminating in a pinion wheel meshing with said teeth of said wheel so as to rotate said wheel and a second pinion wheel operatively connected to said gear train and normally spaced from said curvilinear surfaces of said frame such that as said wheel strikes an object said frame is rotated with respect to said body until one of said curvilinear surfaces thereof engages said rotating second pinion wheel at which time said frame and said front wheel are abruptly rotated with respect to said body permitting said vehicle to immediately change its direc tion to continue movement around the object.

2. A toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said shaft is positioned along an axis intersecting the surface along which said wheel travels at an angle less than 3. A toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said portion of said frame wherein said curvilinear surfaces are located further comprises flat surfaces positioned between said curvilinear surfaces intersecting same and lying on opposite sides of said shaft generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of said body, said second pinion wheel being normally spaced from said flat surfaces when said frame is aligned with said body of said vehicle when said vehicle is moving in a straight path. 

1. A toy vehicle, comprising: a body provided with a source of energy and a motor; a frame provided with an axle, means mounting said frame to rotate with respect to said body, said frame being provided with a portion having opposed curvilinear surfaces; a wheel, means mounting said wheel to rotate about said axle of said frame, said wheel being provided with a series of continuous teeth; means operatively connecting said motor to said frame and said Wheel including a gear train, a shaft operatively connected to said gear train and terminating in a pinion wheel meshing with said teeth of said wheel so as to rotate said wheel and a second pinion wheel operatively connected to said gear train and normally spaced from said curvilinear surfaces of said frame such that as said wheel strikes an object said frame is rotated with respect to said body until one of said curvilinear surfaces thereof engages said rotating second pinion wheel at which time said frame and said front wheel are abruptly rotated with respect to said body permitting said vehicle to immediately change its direction to continue movement around the object.
 2. A toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said shaft is positioned along an axis intersecting the surface along which said wheel travels at an angle less than 90*.
 3. A toy vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said portion of said frame wherein said curvilinear surfaces are located further comprises flat surfaces positioned between said curvilinear surfaces intersecting same and lying on opposite sides of said shaft generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of said body, said second pinion wheel being normally spaced from said flat surfaces when said frame is aligned with said body of said vehicle when said vehicle is moving in a straight path. 